Zither-action.



C. HABERMANN.

ZITHER ACTION. APPLICATION flLEn APR.7.1916.

1,220,840, Pamd Mar. 27, 1917.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

CHARLES HABERMANN, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T OSCAR SCHMIDT, INC., OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ZITHER-ACTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

Application led April 7, 1916. Serial No. 89,550.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that LCHARLES HABERMANN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Zither-Action, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to Zithers and similarly constructed musical instruments, and its object is to provide a new and improved action arranged to permit the player to readily sound simultaneously a series of bass or accompaniment strings to produce the desired chords in a very simple and effective manner.

In order to produce the desired result, use is made of bearing blocks mounted on the body of the instrument at the opposite sides of the bass or accompaniment strings, striking bars extending across the said bass or accompaniment strings and provided at the under side with cushions, and a pair of flat springs for supporting each striking bar to normally support the same above the said strings, the flat springs being secured at one end to the ends of the striking bar and at the other end to the bearing blocks.

yA practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the action as applied to a Zither;

.Fig Q, is an enlarged plan view of the same with parts of the bearing blocks shown in section;

Fig, 3 is a sectional side elevation of the same on the line 5 3y of Fig. Q; and

Fig. 1 is an enlarged cross section of the same on the line lr-4; of Fig. 3.

The body l() of the stringed musical instrument is boX-like, constructed similarly to the ones used in regular Zithers, and on the said body are mounted in the usual manner a set of melody strings 11 and a set of bass or accompaniment strings 12, the sets being preferably spaced apart, as On the top of the body 10 are secured bearing blocks 13 and 141 arranged on opposite sides of the bass or accompaniment strings 12 and ranging in the direction of the length thereof. Across the bass or accompaniment strings .extend a series of striking bars 15, 1G, 17

and 1S, each fastened at its ends by screws 19 to flat springs Q0 disposed obliquely in an outward direction and supported at their outer ends on the bearing blocks 13 and 14 respectively. The striking bars 15, 16, 17 and 18 are provided at the under side with cushions Q2 adapted to engage and sound corresponding bass or accompaniment strings 12, the cushions on each bar being arranged relatively to the said strings to sound a chord whenever a striking bar is actuated, as hereinafter more fully described. It is understood that the cushions 22 of the several striking bars 15, 1G, 17 and 1S are differently arranged so that each striking bar is adapted to sound a different chord, as will be readily understood by reference to the. dotted lines in Fig. 2. As shown in this figure, the first bar 15 has its cushions 22 so arranged that the notes E C G C and E are struck and sounded as a chord; the cushions Q2 of the striking bar 1G are arranged to sound the notes G Gr B D and F as a chord; the cushions 22 of the striking bar .17 are arranged to strike the notes C F A C and F as a chord; and the cushions 22 of the striking bar 18 are arranged to strike and sound the notes A E A C and E as a chord. Each of the striking bars 15, 1G, 17 and 18 is provided on top with an upwardly extending handle 23 adapted to be taken hold of by the operator for actuating a corresponding striking bar whenever it is desired to do so.

Normally each striking bar 15, 16, 17 and 18 is supported by iat springs 2O above the bass or accompaniment strings 12, as plainly shown in Figs. 3 and `1, and when the player desires to sound a desired chord he takes hold of the handle 23 of the corresponding striking bar 15, 16, 17 and 18 and lifts the same and then releases the handle so that the reaction of the springs 20 forces downwardly the corresponding striking bar whereby the cushions 22 of the striking bar engage and sound the corresponding strings 12 to produce the desired chord. As soon as the chord has been sounded the springs 20 immediately return the striking bar to normal inactive position above the strings 12. Each of the bearing blocks 13 and 1-1 is preferably made in two plates and 31, of which he plate 80 is provided at its lower end with integral L-shaped feet 32resting on cushions arranged on the top of the body l0. it screw 3d extends through each foot 32, its cushion 33 and screws in the body l0 thus fastening the corresponding bearing block in position on the body 10. rlhe upper end of the plate is provided Yith horizontally disposed -flanges 35 in each of which screws a screw 3G passing through felt Washers 37 and 38, of which the Washer 37 rests on the lfiange 35 and the outer end of the corresponding' spring 20 rests on this Washer. The other Washer 38 rests on the top of the outer end of the corresponding spring 2O and is pressed on by a spring 39 abutting with its upper end against the under side of the head of the screw 36, as will be understood by reference to Fig. d. By the arrangement described the outer ends of the springs 2O are yieldingly mounted to allow the springs to be bent Without danger of breaking the springs at their points of attachment to the bearing blocks i3 and le. Long life of the springs is thus insured. rlhe plates of the two bearing blocks and ld are rigidly connected With each other by crossbars fO. The plates 30 and 3l are fastened together by screws Lil and the upper edge of the plate 31 is provided with a flange 42 extending over the several screws 36 so as to protect the same and prevent tampering. @n the removal of the plate 3l convenient access is had to the screws 3G, the springs 39 and the Washers 87 and 38 for repairing purposes, if needed. Each of the striking bars l5, 16, 17 and 18 is preferably made of Wood with a shee metal cover on top to protect the same, as plainly indicated in Figs. 3 and si.

Having thus described my invention, l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters .Patent:

l. A Zither comprising a body having accompaniment strings mounted thereon, bearing members arranged on opposite sides of said strings, striking bars arranged across said strings and provided upon the undersides thereof with a series of spaced cushions, a flat spring connected at one end to each end of each of said bars for supporting the same above said strings, and means for yieldingly supporting the other end of each spring.

2. A Zither comprising a body haring accompaniment strings mounted thereon, bearing members arranged on opposite sides of said strings, striking bars arranged naadeeo across said strings and provided upon the undersides thereof with a series of spaced cushions, a flat spring connected at one end to each end of each of said bars for supporting the same above said strings and extending outwardly in an oblique direction, and means for yieldingly supporting the other end of each spring.

3. A Zither comprising a body having accompaniment strings mounted thereon, bearing members arranged on opposite sides of said strings, striking bars arranged across said strings and provided upon the undersides thereof with a series of spaced cushions, a flat spring connected at one end to each end of the said bars for supporting the same above said strings, and means carried by said bearing members for yieldingly supporting the other end of each spring.

d. A Zither comprising a bot y having accompaniment strings mounted thereon, bearing members arranged on opposite sides of said strings, striking bars arranged across said strings and provided upon the undersides thereof with a series of spaced cushions, a flat spring connected at one end to each end of each of said bars for supporting the same above said strings, means carried by said bearing members for yieldingly supporting the other endof each spring, and including an adjustable member mounted in a bearing member, Washers between Which the last named end of the spring is mounted, and a spring coiled about said adjustable member and bearing against one of the Washers.

5. A Zither comprising a body having accompaniment strings mounted thereom bearing members arranged on opposite sides of said strings, striking bars arranged across said strings and provided upon the undersides thereof With a series of spaced cushions, a fiat spring connected at one end to each end of each of said bars for supporting the same above said strings, means carried by said bearing members ior yieldingly supporting the other end of the spring, including an adjustable member mounted in a bearing member, Washers between W iich the last mentioned end of the spring is mounted, a spring coiled about said adjustable member and bearing against one of said Washers, and a cover forming a part of each of said bearing members and oiff'erhanging the said adjustable member.

CHRLES HABERldNi Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the ommssioner or' atents, Washington, D, G. 

